New Zealand man in HCMC accused of molesting friend's daughter

Police of Tan Binh District on Thursday summoned the New Zealand man, who lives in Binh Thanh District, to investigate him for allegedly molesting a girl, who returned to Vietnam with her family from the U.K. for Tet celebrations.

The girl's family reported that on Feb. 11, their New Zealand friend came to their house to hang out, then traveled to the house of an acquaintance named Mai in Tan Binh District along with the girl and her father. While the adults were talking in the living room, the girl went to Mai's bedroom upstairs.

Mai then came up to the bedroom with the girl. The New Zealand then followed them and talked with the girl in English. Mai thought the man was a close friend of the girl's father, so she left the girl alone with the man when she went to the kitchen for around five minutes.

When Mai returned to the bedroom, she saw the man and the girl lying on the bed. The man was taking the girl's hand and putting it into his pants. Mai then immediately separated the two and informed the girl's parents about what happened.

The girl later told her mother that the New Zealand man had done similar acts to her a few times in the past. When the father questioned the man about what happened, the man reportedly texted and admitted to his behaviors, adding that it was "nothing serious."

The girl's family then enlisted the help of a lawyer to report the matter to the police.